Creation, Reorganization and Liquidation of Pedagogical Institutions of Higher Education During the Khrushchev «Thaw»

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to follow the changes that took place in the system of pedagogical institutions of higher education during the years of Khrushchev's «thaw», based on the available archival sources, to find out the reasons that led to these transformations, as well as to establish their effectiveness. The methodological basis of the research was the principles of historicism, systematicity and comprehensiveness, problem-chronological and diachronic methods. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that, for the first time, the problems of the creation, reorganization and liquidation of pedagogical higher education institutions in the mid-1950s – the first half of the 1960s are comprehensively shown. Conclusions. During the 50s – the first half of the 60s of the 20th century. the number of pedagogical educational institutions decreased from 47 to 33. In the mid-1950s, quantitative changes occurred due to the closure of a part of teachers' institutes or their reorganization into pedagogical institutes. Such changes were due to the transition to polytechnic education in secondary school, which, in turn, required an increase in the level of teacher training. Soon, the existing pedagogical institutes began to consolidate in order to strengthen their educational and material base and provide scientific and pedagogical personnel with appropriate qualifications. Part of the faculties of pedagogical institutes were attached to the faculties of universities, arguing that they had a small number of students. At the same time, practice has shown that this was a wrong step, since pedagogical institutes provided thorough professional training, primarily its practical component. Later, the authorities admitted their mistakes and restored most of the faculties. It raises the question of the expediency of destroying the powerful Kharkiv Pedagogical Institute and creating Pedagogical Institutes of physical education and foreign languages on its basis. The last of them was soon attached to Kharkiv University, and the Pedagogical Institute of Physical Education functioned for about 5 years, after which it again became a Pedagogical Institute.